Inner tube tester



July 27, 1948. A. KUBIN ET AL 2,446,050

- INNER TUBE TESTER Filed Aug. 6, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Andrew Kubin Charles Kubin Andrew Brondas Jr.

BY ATTORNEYS y 7, 1948. A. KUBIN ETAL 2,446,050

INNER TUBE TESTER I Filed s- 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, A w ubi 11,

Charles u bin Andrew das Jr. W r 7 ATTOR'N 5 Patented July 27, 1948 1 S T-ATES .f j p p 2,446,050,, r i' f t INNER TUBE TEsTnn An d rew Kubinp' Westlake, Charles "Kubin, North QlmstecL; and Andrew Brondos Jr -hahewood,

Ohio, assignors to The Reliable Spring- Forms Company, Clevelahdfljhio, a corporation of Ohio *Application August 6, 1946,. Serial No. 688,670

3 bandqned application Serial 2Qit ;.fi sd. wen- 94 This invention relatesto inner tube testing $95. .Q hixty ll :Whl .closglylspaced Wire e 'l ree anectedto eth r t .form a b eivihg qage of toroidal iorm that confines the e in such a manner as to permitinspection of I entire tube whileuit isinflated under cons derahle pressure in order to detect small leaks Lwhich would not be noticeable at lower pres- Number t} "for an object to provide a e off the characterreferred to which is strong easily folded'to thiriter'ioi-"of the rings for shipment or storage and to extended position for use.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be said to comprise the cage as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims, together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cage embodying the invention, showing an inner tube mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line indicated at 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the wire loop units;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cage showing a portion of the loops folded inwardly and one of the rings extending partially through the other, and I Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the cage folded for lication isla continuation in partof urableand which isof simple construc,

- o corii'iected that the loop-shah be quickly and Claims. (01: 73-50) shipment or storage showing all of the 106 05150- sitioned to the interior of the endless supporting rin s,

The cage "of the present invention is formed by a series of wire loops I 0, each of which has helically coiled ends Hand IZ that consist ofja series of convolutions forming tubular end' p'ortions that extend substantially normal .to the plane of the loop. The coiled tubular portions Hi and I Z are" of substantially "the same length and preferably extend in opposite directions from the base of the loop ll). The loop I0 isof substantially horseshoe shape and the end; portions ll and I2 areof a size'to slidably receive wire rings [3 and [4 which are of the same size and which support the bases of thewireloop units.

The wire loop unitsare of identical construction and the cages are formed by threading :the tubular-portions I l; and I2 on wires 13 and H with the tubularportion l I; and l2of adjacent units abutting end-to end. Afterthennitsare assembled on the wires-the ;wires .are bent to circular form" and welded as. indicated at l 5 li-n he base prim Q ih sf em 1; The wireloop units can be rapidly and cheaply providestiireiimgb aeesror the loops wriichfre sist angular deflection ofthe loops and by forming the tubular portions II and 12 to extend in opposite directions from the loop, the loops are disposed at small angles to radial planes so that lateral movements of the outer portions of the loops are resisted by the legsof the loops as well as by the stiiT end portions H and I2.

In order to provide a cage that has considerable rigidity and that will retain its shape despite rough handling, the wire employed in the construction of the cage is preferably a high tensile, high carbon spring wire.

By reason of the fact that the endless wire rings 13 and I4 and loops I0 are formed of spring wire the loops may be readily folded to the interior of the rings l3 and [4 as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. By reason of the pivotal connection of the coils H and 12 to the wire rings I3 and I4, the coils in any part of the cage may be swung inwardly as shown in Fig. 4 and by reason of the gripping action of the coils H and 12 on the rings I3 and M the loops will be held in the folded position by the frictional engagement of the coils H and 12 with the rings. As the loops are folded inwardly the rings is and II are gradually elongated and one of the rings begins to pass through the other. As the folding of the loops continues the ring. on the side toward which the loops are folded gradually passes through the other ring until the position of the rings is-reversed and the loops are all disposed within the rings as shown in Fig. 5.

An inner tube such as the tube l6 shown in Fig. 1 may be inserted through the space between the rings [3 and I4 into the cage with its valve stem I1 projecting through the space between the rings l3 and I4 and the inner tube when inflated within the cage is confined by the closely spaced loops l so that considerable internal pressure can be exerted upon the tube without danger of excessive stretching of any portion of invention.

What we claim is:

1. A testing cage for inner tubes comprising two laterally spaced rings and a series of circumferentially spaced resilient wire loops having open bases supported at their ends on said rings, each loop comprising a single piece of wire having each of its ends coiled helically to provide an elongated tubular ring receiving end portion disposed substantially normal to the plane of the 100;), said tubular end portions of said loops abut,- ting end to end on said rings to uniformly space said loops circumferentiallyof the cage.

2. A testing cage for inner tubes comprising two laterally'spaced rings and a series of circumferentially spaced resilient wire loops having open bases supported at their ends on said rings, each loop comprising a single piece of Wire having each of its ends coiled helically to provide an elongated tubular ring receiving end portion disposed substantially normal to the plane of the loop, the

loops circumferentially of the cage.

3. A wire loop unit for inner tube testing cages comprising a piece of wire bent to form a loop of substantially horseshoe form open at the base and having each of its ends coiled helically to provide an elongated tubular end portion disposed substantiallynormal to the plane of' the loop.

4. Awire loop unit for inner tube testing cages comprising a piece of wire bent to form a loop of substantially horseshoe form open at the base and having each of its ends coiled helically to provide an elongated tubular end portion disposed substantially normal to the plane of the loop, said tubular end portions being of substantially equal length and extending in opposite directions from the base of the loop.

5. A testing cage for inner tubes comprising two laterally spaced rings and substantially equiangularly spaced loops of high tensile, high carbon spring wire, each loop being formed of a piece of wire bent to substantially horseshoe form and having its ends coiled about said rings to provide integral tubular end portions, said loops being arranged with their tubular portions abutting end to end on said rings. '9

6. A testing cage for inner tubes comprising two laterally spaced rings of substantially'equal size and formed of spring wire, and spacedhorsshoe shaped loops of spring wire each having oppositely extending helical coils at the'cnds thereof wrapped about said Wire rings, each coil abutting an adjacent loop to spacethe 'loops on the rings, said loops being progressively foldable laterally and inwardly about said rings from a position in which they project outwardly from said rings to a position in whiohthey lie entirely within the rings, said rings being sufficiently flexible to permit one ring to be forced laterally through the other during the folding of said loops.

' ANDREWKUBIN.

CHARLES KUBIN. ANDREW BRONDQS, JR. 7 REFERENCES CITED The following references f are file of this patent:

of record the Number 

